Ethnic minorities in Khanh Vinh: Unique culinary culture

Khanh Vinh - a semi-mountainous land in the west of Khanh Hoa province has 28 ethnic groups living together, of which ethnic minorities such as Raglai, Ede, Co Ho... account for 75.4% of the population. Along with the stilt houses, unique culture and customs of ethnic minorities, through the long-standing lifestyle, the people here also have dishes with their own flavors, leaving many impressions for tourists when coming to this land.

Delicious mountain flavor dishes

In Khanh Vinh, the Raglai people have the largest population with more than 21,000 people, accounting for 49.5% of the population. Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Thuy - a daughter of the Raglai ethnic minority people in Trung Khanh Vinh commune shared that the Raglai people have a long-standing life attached to the mountains and forests, and have formed a united community. In the rhythm of daily production associated with the mountains and forests, the familiar dishes of the people are white rice, dried fish... brought with them when going to the fields. In daily life today, one of the familiar dishes of the Raglai people is canh boi, cooked from many different types of wild vegetables and rice flour. To make sour canh boi, the rice flour is fermented with wild vegetables by the Raglai people, then wrapped in banana leaves, hung in the kitchen or dried in the sun to ferment. Ethnic minorities in Khanh Vinh area also have other rustic dishes such as: stir-fried eggplant with bamboo shoots, dried stream fish cooked with soup made from wild vegetables... The spices in the dishes of ethnic minorities here usually only add salt and chili, rarely add other spices.

Through the process of production development and crop conversion, although not much left, in some ethnic minority areas in Khanh Vinh, people still grow upland rice - considered a "pearl" given by heaven. Upland rice is sown on the mountain slopes in the 5th and 6th lunar months and harvested after 6 - 8 months. After harvesting, upland rice is cooked into rice to worship the gods, pray for favorable weather, healthy children... Upland rice is also cooked into rice wine for villagers to gather and enjoy during festivals and New Year celebrations.

Sun-dried beef dish, hung on the kitchen stove in the ethnic minority region of Khanh Vinh.

Currently, ethnic minorities in Khanh Vinh area raise many wild boars and wild chickens, so dishes such as grilled chicken with salt and chili, wild boar... with spices that bring the flavor of the mountains and forests also create unique culinary features for the people of the mountainous region. Mr. Nguyen Thac Sinh (Nha Trang ward) shared that every time his family travels to Da Lat, they often stop at rest stops in Khanh Vinh to rest and enjoy rustic dishes such as grilled chicken with salt and chili, stream fish, bamboo shoot soup, and wild vegetables. In particular, at tourist spots along National Highway 1 through Khanh Vinh area, there are many ethnic minorities who directly prepare dishes for tourists, bringing a very new feeling when stopping here.

There is still much potential to build tourism products.

In an exchange with us, Mr. Van Dung Chinh - Advisory Board of Nha Trang - Da Lat Agricultural Cooperative Area shared that with many beautiful landscapes, wild nature, unique cultural features of ethnic minorities, the communes in Khanh Vinh area have many potentials and advantages for developing community tourism. Along with community tourism models associated with agricultural tourism, growing herbs and building detox saunas for tourists to experience..., Khanh Vinh can attract tourists from cuisine by organizing traditional festivals such as: new rice festival; making cakes, processing dishes from fruits; dishes from chicken, pork or processing stream fish of the Raglai people...

According to Resolution No. 09 of the Politburo on building and developing Khanh Hoa province to 2030, with a vision to 2045; Resolution No. 34 of the Provincial Party Committee on promoting cultural values ​​associated with sustainable tourism development in Khanh Hoa province to 2025, with a vision to 2030, Khanh Vinh district (old) is oriented to develop tourism associated with preserving and promoting cultural values, making tourism a key economic sector. According to the Project on developing community tourism associated with preserving and promoting ethnic minority identities in Khanh Vinh district (old) for the period 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030, in addition to the mountain ecological tourism model, Khanh Vinh orients many community tourism development models. In Khanh Vinh area, there are 3 community tourism areas following the agricultural model that have come into operation, including: Hoa Qua Son Tourist Area, Tien Long Farm Ecological Tourist Area and Nha Trang - Da Lat Agricultural Cooperative Area; the remaining 11 points are attracting investment for community tourism development.

Currently, Khanh Vinh also aims to develop community tourism associated with indigenous tourism. This type of tourism creates conditions for ethnic minorities or indigenous people to directly participate in tourism activities by taking advantage of local resources to serve tourism needs such as: Housing, food, work..., which will attract tourists by the simplicity and authenticity of the mountainous region. This is a highly community-based activity, the organization of tourism must be carried out systematically and scientifically. All people in the same village must be trained and guided on how to operate tourism. At the same time, Khanh Vinh is researching investment to pilot the Raglai village model, described by the daily activities of the people here such as: farming, raising animals, processing rustic dishes of the Raglai people. In addition, to help tourists understand more about the Raglai people's traditions, communes in Khanh Vinh area will organize classes to teach them how to weave baskets, weave brocade, or teach tourists how to play the Ma La, play the lithophone, and make the Chapi. Through community tourism models associated with indigenous tourism, ethnic minorities directly participate, contributing to creating jobs, preserving customs and practices, promoting cultural values, and unique cuisine of Khanh Vinh ethnic minorities.

Chi Trung

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/202509/dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-o-khanh-vinhdoc-dao-voi-van-hoa-am-thuc-9dc45eb/